I wanted to bring to your attention a riveting documentary film by Marilyn Ness to takes a deep dive into the challenges Baltimore City faces.

]]>Greetings Family!

I wanted to bring to your attention a riveting documentary film by Marilyn Ness to takes a deep dive into the challenges Baltimore City faces. Crime and violence are seen through the lens of community residents most affected and the anti-violence advocates and law-enforcement officers who attempt to effect positive change. I highly recommend for those persons who are interested in social justice issues. The movie trailer will give you insight into the documentary.

]]>https://drjohnnyrice.com/upcoming-event-safe-and-together-institute-conference/feed/0Remembering Fathers Who Have Been Victimized By Violencehttps://drjohnnyrice.com/remembering-fathers-who-have-been-victimized-by-violence/
https://drjohnnyrice.com/remembering-fathers-who-have-been-victimized-by-violence/#respondMon, 13 Jun 2016 18:09:28 +0000https://drjohnnyrice.com/?p=330Father’s Day allows us to take stock of the important role fathers and father figures play in the lives of children.]]>Father’s Day allows us to take stock of the important role fathers and father figures play in the lives of children. Over the years, a growing body of research has consistently demonstrated the value of positive involvement by fathers (biological or otherwise) in their children’s lives. Of course, this is not to suggest that children raised by two moms or a mom who has chosen to raise her child on her own cannot have equally fulfilling lives. But, for children who have a father in their lives, studies have found that the children have better socio-emotional and academic functioning if they have healthy contact with their fathers.

But, what happens when positive male figures are stripped from their families through acts of violence? Permanent father absence as a result of interpersonal or community violence has broad and far-reaching implications that we as a society should not ignore. In my native Baltimore, the story of Kendall Fenwick immediately comes to mind this Father’s Day.

Mr. Fenwick was a young father raising his children as a single parent, who by all accounts was a devoted dad and a positive member of his community. But on Monday, November 9, 2015, Mr. Fenwick’s life was cut short when a local drug dealer murdered him on his front lawn, with his young children just inside the home and within hearing distance of the gunshot that ended their father’s life. That gunshot extinguished the unique relationship that Mr. Fenwick had built with his children, and took away their caregiver. Mr. Fenwick was only 24 years old, and his children were only ages four, two, and seven months.

The harm associated with such tragedies usually transcends beyond the initial incident, and can impact loved ones (especially children) in a variety of ways based on the trauma experienced. An unexpected death such as Mr. Fenwick’s, and its intentional nature at the hands of another community member, compound the trauma that the victim’s children, family, and community may experience. It can also leave remaining family members who are fragile vulnerable to future victimization themselves, perpetuating a cycle of violence.

Mr. Fenwick’s murder struck a distinct chord for me as an African American father. There is a long-standing and pervasive belief that black men are not a consistent part of their children’s lives. So I was glad to see that the myth of African American fathers as uninvolved has been challenged by recent research findings examining fathers’ involvement with their children in the United States, which showed that African American dads were as likely to be involved in their children’s lives as other fathers—and by some metrics, more so.

However, I can also relate to the various pitfalls that African American fathers in urban centers such as Baltimore must constantly navigate in order to see tomorrow. Unfortunately, the cold reality is that communities of color are disproportionately affected by gun violence. Recent Center on Disease Control and Prevention data shows that homicide is the leading cause of death for African American males ages 15-34. And the impacts of gun violence go beyond the victims—another study found that four in 10 African Americans reported being affected by gun violence. Many African Americans feel that the United States doesn’t care about the gun violence that plagues communities of color. These statistics reflect a cycle of violence, which creates a sense of inevitability and apathy. This perpetuates the dysfunction that ends in the death of productive black men and fathers.

I take great pride in supporting my son and daughter in their growth and maturation process and work to steer them in the right direction and away from things that can be harmful. When confronted with stories like Mr. Fenwick’s, however, I am forced to imagine how my children’s life would change if I was not able to be there for them as a result of unexpected violence. This compels me to want to address the problem of community violence that smothers the aspirations of individuals and families who suffer from victimization—in the forms of gun violence, domestic violence and sexual assault, child abuse and neglect—yet want better for their community and themselves. We must start with recognizing the root causes of violence, such as poverty and lack of mental health services, that fuel violence in disenfranchised communities of color, and ask ourselves what each of us can do to address them.

Initiatives such as Healing Works, a national learning collaborative and website for people working with young men of color harmed by violence and trauma, can help to inform, educate, and empower communities. We must also equip members of our communities with the tools necessary to de-escalate conflicts without using violence as a means to achieve this goal—particularly black males who may believe violence is the answer when disrespect is perceived or to preempt any harm they feel may be directed at them first.

It is also imperative that victims, particularly victims who are family members of those who have been killed, receive the support that they need in their journey to healing. The presence of a loving and supportive adult can serve as a protective factor for children; if violently stripped away, it can make them vulnerable to unhealthy relations and future abuse, such as domestic violence. In Baltimore, Roberta’s House, a family grief and support center, is a unique program committed to providing a safe space for supporting children and their loved ones who have been affected by the death of a loved one as a result of homicide, often black men. We need more of these programs.

As Father’s Day approaches, it’s important that we not forget the fathers we have lost to violence. We must reach out to these families, offer them encouragement, and be a source of hope that can overshadow the pain. We honor the memory of fathers like Mr. Fenwick by working harder for peace and not turning away from problems in our communities, but rather finding the courage to confront those ills.

]]>https://drjohnnyrice.com/remembering-fathers-who-have-been-victimized-by-violence/feed/0Resilience: The Biology of Stress & the Science of Hopehttps://drjohnnyrice.com/resilience-documentary-the-biology-of-stress-the-science-of-hope/
https://drjohnnyrice.com/resilience-documentary-the-biology-of-stress-the-science-of-hope/#respondTue, 19 Apr 2016 17:52:12 +0000https://drjohnnyrice.com/?p=360Greetings Family. I want to make you aware of a new documentary being screened on trauma entitled “Resilience” produced by KPJR Films. ]]>Greetings Family. I want to make you aware of a new documentary being screened on trauma entitled “Resilience” produced by KPJR Films. Reporter Brie Zeltner of The Cleveland Plain Dealer provides an informative article that highlights the impact of trauma exposure. Documentaries such as this one often shine a light on an issue that is often neglected by society. The film examines the long-term implications of exposure to violence spanning from adolescence to adulthood.

Please feel free to share this information with those persons who may benefit.

]]>https://drjohnnyrice.com/resilience-documentary-the-biology-of-stress-the-science-of-hope/feed/0Checking our own pulse: Why we must not ignore stress and trauma inherent in victim-centered workhttps://drjohnnyrice.com/checking-our-own-pulse-why-we-must-not-ignore-stress-and-trauma-inherent-in-victim-centered-work/
https://drjohnnyrice.com/checking-our-own-pulse-why-we-must-not-ignore-stress-and-trauma-inherent-in-victim-centered-work/#respondFri, 09 Oct 2015 17:40:30 +0000https://drjohnnyrice.com/?p=315The recent murder of Lara Sobel, an employee of the Vermont Department for Children and Families,]]>The recent murder of Lara Sobel, an employee of the Vermont Department for Children and Families, who was killed by a parent who had lost custody of her child, reminds us of the inherent risk associated with contentious custody battles. Unfortunately, fatal encounters involving estranged parents have occurred in Maryland, New York, Washington State, and other regions throughout the country. Such traumatic events not only affect the families involved but also service responders—those “helpers” who may also experience depression and anxiety as a result of these tragic outcomes.

As a former foster care worker for Baltimore City Department of Social Services in the late 1990s, I observed firsthand the animosity that indeterminate separation from children can surface in parents. At times, I also experienced stress as a result of working directly with families in conflict. Today, as a national technical assistance provider who supports supervised visitation and safe exchange center service providers nationwide, it is clear to me that job-related stress persists for those supporting families with a history of domestic violence. Conflicts involving child custody and domestic violence transcend race, culture, and economic class and require justice advocates charged to help these families to consider meaningful strategies to address both these conflicts and the mental health effects they can have on staff.

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) created the Safe Havens grant program (now under the Justice for Families grant) to assist communities in the development of supervised visitation centers that are operated based on guiding principles that promote a humanistic philosophy of treating all persons with respect and safety. It also created security protocols aimed at reducing the risk of future harm for families accessing services. These centers afford physical, visual, and auditory separation between parents and are a safer alternative to visitation exchanges otherwise occurring in unsupervised environments that lack security personnel, such as convenience store parking lots and the homes of relatives.

Despite the relative safety that supervised visitation settings offer, however, staff still operate in the midst of a storm. At any moment, violence may resurface during a visitation or exchange—a reality that staff face on a daily basis. The constant balancing of the safety and interests of the victimized parent, children, and abusive parent—all of whom may be indifferent towards staff or refuse to adhere to center guidelines—can make the job very difficult for those staff persons and volunteers who are there to help. They must constantly monitor families, particularly the parent who has a history of violence, and work to develop a healthy rapport over time with them as a strategy to maintain safety. Staff may also put their wellness second, which can lead to burnout on the job and in their own personal lives; I know from my own professional experience that taking care of clients can be distracting from prioritizing personal self-care. Thus, stress and anxiety levels of staff should be routinely assessed.

According to one staff member at a supervised visitation program, “…[The work] can be [stressful], depending on the situation the family is dealing with, the extent of the family’s trauma, and the attitudes of each parent and child towards the visitation or exchange process.” This perspective was also echoed in a recent practitioner questionnaire administered by Vera’s Center on Victimization and Safety and the Supervised Visitation Network (SVN) to a diverse group of supervised visitation and safe exchange providers throughout the United States. Respondents also shared that, in addition to administrative duties, they must often intervene in visits due to “critical incidents”—violent or potentially dangerous encounters—or a parent’s actions, such as asking questions concerning the other parent’s whereabouts, which can put him or her in potential danger.

It’s important to note that visitation and exchange centers are in a unique position to provide services to all family members during the same time frame and support all parties in having a safe and positive visitation experience. Yet serving the entire family can also be overwhelming if the center leadership and staff fail to check in with each other routinely to assess the effect that the daily challenges might have on their own well-being.

I applaud the U.S. Department of Justice’s efforts, particularly OVW, in acknowledging the challenges that such work presents and identifying vital resources—such as trauma-informed care and self-care resources for victim services providers—for organizations that provide victim-centered services. It’s important to investigate the resources and strategies that address burnout and secondary trauma, such as creating a safe space to conduct conversations specific to staff health and wellness; establishing routine check-ins and following up with staff to assess their well-being; and tapping into local resources specific to wellness to address individual need. We can best support families in conflict by making sure we also take care of ourselves in the process.

This blog has been cross-posted on the Supervised Visitation Network website.

]]>https://drjohnnyrice.com/checking-our-own-pulse-why-we-must-not-ignore-stress-and-trauma-inherent-in-victim-centered-work/feed/0Reflecting on policing, Freddie Gray, and the Baltimore uprisings: Finding common ground to promote healinghttps://drjohnnyrice.com/reflecting-on-policing-freddie-gray-and-the-baltimore-uprisings-finding-common-ground-to-promote-healing/
https://drjohnnyrice.com/reflecting-on-policing-freddie-gray-and-the-baltimore-uprisings-finding-common-ground-to-promote-healing/#respondThu, 14 May 2015 17:52:27 +0000https://drjohnnyrice.com/?p=319On the evening of Sunday, May 10, Prince performed a benefit concert at the Royal Farms Arena in downtown Baltimore City in honor of Freddie Gray,]]>On the evening of Sunday, May 10, Prince performed a benefit concert at the Royal Farms Arena in downtown Baltimore City in honor of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old African American man who tragically died in Baltimore City Police Department (BCPD) custody from a traumatic spinal cord injury during police transport. The concert was one of several events sponsored citywide that focused on healing in the wake of the peaceful protests and dangerous riots that had taken place several weeks prior, in large part sparked by the controversial arrest and death of Mr. Gray.

As a native of Baltimore, I watched the major network news coverage with mixed emotions. The spotlight—which had previously focused on Eric Garner in New York City, Tamir Rice in Cleveland, and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri—was now pointed at my hometown of Charm City. I am very familiar with the communities affected by the riots, as well as the indifference towards law enforcement that previously existed in certain neighborhoods. At its best, the media shed light on an issue that is not unique to Baltimore: the arrest and harm of unarmed African American men and women because of their interactions with law enforcement and the resulting community distrust. The Baltimore Sun’s recent exposé, “Undue Force,” provides a snapshot of numerous incidents of citizen abuse at the hands of police that provided the foundation for the unrest that occurred.

At its worst, the media attempted to write a narrative that emphasized the acts of those who rioted and damaged businesses rather than the positive ongoing work of community advocates to keep the peace, such as the 300 Men March or the city government’s renewed effort to address black-on-black crime, which was undertaken prior to the uprisings. To its credit, the media eventually provided a balanced perspective by using their platform to grant access to not only law enforcement and city officials, but to faith leaders, community activists, and gang members alike so they could voice their concerns on a range of systemic and policing issues that plague communities.

The sentiment of distrust towards police due to aggressive practices was evident in Vera’s 2013 report on stop, question and frisk, where youth of color in New York City were surveyed regarding the proactive crime fighting strategy. The BCPD has used a range of similar policing practices to address crime and curtail illicit drug dealing and associated violence. Unfortunately, zero-tolerance policing tactics and aggressive crackdowns on crime by special units in high-crime neighborhoods has caused a major division between community residents and law enforcement based on increased arrests for men of color and the sentiment that their civil rights were being violated.

As a justice practitioner who has worked directly with people and families in home, correctional, and juvenile treatment environments, I have seen the unique social, structural, cultural, and situational factors underserved communities face. Barriers to educational, health, and employment resources can be daunting in communities where poverty and crime are prevalent, and the evident disparities and biases in the criminal justice system can be especially damaging and traumatic for men of color.

Community growth and sustainability depends in part on responsive law enforcement officers who respect the community in which they serve—and weeding out those officers who do not. The charges filed against the six officers in the death of Freddie Gray—as well as U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s investigation of BCPD—has provided a temporary sense of calm. But true healing in Baltimore depends on the people and the police developing the mutual trust and respect that true partnerships are built upon.

]]>https://drjohnnyrice.com/reflecting-on-policing-freddie-gray-and-the-baltimore-uprisings-finding-common-ground-to-promote-healing/feed/0Honoring the courage of domestic violence and sexual assault survivors, advocates, and allies on VAWA’s 20th anniversaryhttps://drjohnnyrice.com/honoring-the-courage-of-domestic-violence-and-sexual-assault-survivors-advocates-and-allies-on-vawas-20th-anniversary/
https://drjohnnyrice.com/honoring-the-courage-of-domestic-violence-and-sexual-assault-survivors-advocates-and-allies-on-vawas-20th-anniversary/#respondFri, 19 Sep 2014 17:57:27 +0000https://drjohnnyrice.com/?p=323On Tuesday, September 9, I attended a celebration at the National Archives in Washington,]]>On Tuesday, September 9, I attended a celebration at the National Archives in Washington, DC hosted by Vice President Joe Biden to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). It brought together advocates from across the country who are dedicated to helping domestic violence and sexual assault victims, survivors, and their children.

Beginning in the 1970s and continuing on through the 1980s and early 1990s, advocates worked tirelessly to persuade lawmakers and the public to recognize the plight of domestic violence and sexual assault victims and their children. It was through their efforts—and the courageous victims who told personal stories of pain and trauma—that VAWA was realized.

The cultural and political barriers that stood in the way of VAWA’s enactment were considerable. There existed—and continues to exist, though far less prominently—misguided attitudes that led certain men to believe they could exert control over women through physical, sexual, mental, and economic abuse. And there existed an ignorance and lack of understanding that caused victims of abuse to be met with silence from family, friends, and their community. The Vice President spoke of the perception in many communities that domestic violence, as well as rape and sexual assault by an acquaintance, prior to VAWA was not viewed as a crime but a “dirty little secret” or “private family matter.”

The White House’s recent report, 1 is 2 Many: Twenty Years Fighting Violence Against Women and Girls, contains a timeline of the history and success of VAWA. For the first time, law enforcement, judges, and prosecutors received training on the realities of domestic and sexual violence; the National Domestic Violence Hotline was created; funding was established for the training and hiring of forensic nurses to collect evidence from victims and perpetrators and provide expert testimony in court; and a wide range of other civil, legal, and law enforcement resources aimed at the prevention and intervention of domestic violence and sexual assault.

In addition, the DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) was created to support communities serving victims through the provision of funding, technical assistance, policy formation and program development. Under VAWA, women have been provided resources and guidance to better address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. VAWA has subsequently been updated to include underserved communities (i.e., rural, tribal, and communities of color) and victims with disabilities. The most recent reauthorization of VAWA in 2013 added protections for immigrant survivors and the LGBT community.

VAWA has also had a tremendous impact on our work at Vera. OVW support has been essential to our Center on Victimization and Safety’s efforts in the areas of supervised visitation and addressing domestic and sexual violence against people with disabilities and Deaf individuals.

VAWA’s importance has become even more visible in the wake of recent high-profile domestic violence incidents involving pro football players Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson. As a result of ongoing national media coverage, Google searches for the phrase “domestic violence hotline” were higher last week than in any other week this year, and phone calls to the National Domestic Violence Hotline jumped 84 percent in the two days after video of Rice assaulting his fiancée was released. It is apparent that VAWA, while established 20 years ago, still remains today a critical piece of legislation that helps to keep victims safe.

For more information about the legacy of VAWA, visit Justice in Focus: Crime Bill @ 20, which engages key voices in a dialogue that looks back at the impact of the Crime Bill—which VAWA was part of—and raises questions about what kind of policy we need for the next 20 years.